May 2008
by DateMe
Summary: Entries for the fanfiction section of the May contest. Entries listed in order of submission. Challenge: Spring of Love, Pairing: LeeHina.
1. Letting Love Blossom by Selene98

**Title:** Letting Love Blossom  
**Author:** Selene98  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Challenge:** Spring of Love  
**Pairing:** LeeHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, please visit our homepage on DeviantArt for directions to the original post.

* * *

For Hinata, love was something that seemed to revolve around a very loud and boisterous blond named Naruto. For as long as she remembered, she had harbored feelings for him. And still, through the years, her childhood crush had developed into something more.

For Lee, love had involved unwavering declarations of love to his beloved Sakura blossom. It was love at fist sight for the eccentric youth, having asked the girl in question out the very first time she met him.

So for the both of them, love was something completely different. Where one started out slow, gently progressing into something known as love, the other took things to great lengths from the start, hoping to gain love immediately. Two people couldn't be more opposite really. And the two actually having something in common would be surprising. That is, until they both got the shock of a lifetime.

Hinata had been planning to go by Ichiraku ramen, hoping to see Naruto there, and possibly get the nerves to say something to him without passing out. And if Naruto wasn't there, she could always have lunch. But as the saying goes, you can't always get what you want." And today was defiantly not the day for her to get what she wanted. She pushed aside the flap and looked on with a gasp.

Lee had asked anyone and everyone where he could find Sakura. He couldn't wait to give her the flowers he had bought her earlier, and would stop at nothing to find her. So when Kiba said that he saw Sakura going into Ichiraku ramen earlier, Lee had sprinted off without hearing the rest of what Kiba had to say, shouting declarations of love as if Sakura could hear him from halfway across the village. As her ran into the small ramen bar, Lee noticed that Hinata was standing very stiff at the entrance. As he caught sight of the scene before him, he dropped the flowers to the ground and gaped.

There before the two almost strangers, were Naruto and Sakura. Now this would have been an ordinary sight, aside from the fact that Sakura was in Naruto's lap, his tongue halfway down her throat. The first to react was obviously Lee. But rather than challenge Naruto to a fight for Sakura's heart, as would be expected, he ran out of the ramen bar, faster than anyone would have thought possible. And that was saying something, seeing as Lee was one of the fastest ninja in Konha.

Hinata's reaction was also quite unexpected. Instead if crying, Hinata slowly walked out of the bar, dazed and slightly confused. She had always had the slight suspicion that she wouldn't end up with Naruto and that he would find some other girl, more specifically Sakura, to love. She 

walked at a snail's pace down the streets, her mind still not quite processing what she had seen.

She finally decided that she would go somewhere no one would be. Hinata needed to think, and having her younger sister bother her wasn't her idea of thinking. That was why she had gone to the training ground that was almost always empty. It was one of the older ones, and most ninja preferred to train in some of the newer, and closer training grounds. Hinata hadn't expected Lee to be there. But there he was, repeatedly punching a tree. Hinata felt her heart pang, Lee was going through the same thing that she was. She decided to leave, not wanting to disturb her cousin's teammate. Before she took a step away, Lee turned around, putting on a small smile, though Hinata could easily tell that it was forced.

Lee had planned one spending the afternoon alone, trying to beat his emotions into a helpless tree. That was until Hinata showed up. He had done his best to smile, to show his youthful spirit as Gai-sensei would have told him to do, but the firced smile was one he could hardly maintain.

The two of them may have been as different as could be; one outgoing, the other shy, but one thing had brought them together. And it was on that day that they learned that heartbreak was something best dealt with if you had someone there to help you along.

So it had become somewhat of a tradition for the two of them, to meet in the old abandoned training field where they had gone that fateful day. Their meetings were somewhat of a secret. Hinata felt that Neji would overreact if he found out that she was spending time alone with his teammate. Lee had agreed to keep the meetings to himself, and they continued to spend time with each other, slowly becoming closer with each secret get-together. It wasn't until the sunflowers started to bloom that they learned something neither would forget.

The old training ground had some flowers growing off to the side. Hinata had been the first to notice the small patch of sprouting plants. They had barely begun to grow the first day the two had met there, and after some time, a bud had developed. The two tracked the growth of the sunflowers together, waiting for the day that the flowers would emerge.

The two happened to meet three months later, and the sunflowers had bloomed. The two were amazed at the sight, but for different reasons.

Hinata admired the beauty of the plants. How they could grow so tall, and look so majestic with their bright yellow petals. Hinata looked up at her namesake, wanting to be able to stand tall as the flowers did, proud of their beauty.

Lee on the other hand, was amazed at the speed at which the flowers had grown, and at how sturdy the flowers were for being so tall. The flowers inspired Lee to train harder, to become stronger, and faster, just as the flowers were.

But the two had learned something more from the flowers. Over the three months that they had watched the flowers grow, they had learned something about love. Lee grabbed Hinata's hand, and they walked out of the small clearing together.  


Hinata had learned that although love took time, it wasn't something to keep hidden.

Lee learned that love was not to be rushed. That it would take it's own course, and that sometimes you had to look more than once to truly fall in love.

The couple walked hand in hand through the village that day, having learned something they would cherish the rest of their lives. They learned to let love blossom.


	2. Tweezers by Fatcat648

**Title:** Tweezers  
**Author:** Fatcat648  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Challenge:** Spring of love  
**Pairing:** LeeHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, please visit our homepage on DeviantArt for directions to the original post.

* * *

"Oh Leeeeee-kun! Come out already and don't be soooo shy!" squealed a maliciously smirking Sakura.

Trembling Lee fought every fiber of his spring love that screamed to stop his ridiculous hiding and proclaim his happiness and love to Sakura for the fifty-seventh time….that is until the ominous clicking of the metal utensils in her hand reminded Lee why he was hiding in the first place.

His eyebrows scrunched in pain and worry at the sight of tweezers.

The sweat and admiration of his beautiful eyebrows – so alike to his hero Gai-sensei yet so much thicker that Lee himself believed that one day he could surpass beloved Gai-sensei in skills and eventually eyebrow mass.

Lee freely allowed the tears of a not-so-distant dream to fall.

His attention snapped back to his delicate flower Sakura as she cursed very er… sailor-like before Ino trampled through the bushes shouting, "Have you found him yet Forehead?"

"Not yet Pig but we'll get him," huffed Sakura.

Ino rolled her eyes tossing her long pale hair across her shoulder, "Kami I hope so. You don't know how long I've been dying to pluck those monsters he calls eyebrows!"

"Me too!! Every time I see him I can feel my perfectly thin and fine eyebrows twitch at the thickness he wears it!"

"I know, seriously! I just want to hold him down and practically shave those caterpillars off his face!"

"For real!"

"Totally!"

The conversation between the ditzy girls continued, lulling poor Lee into a false sense of security and hope until the mindless chatter suddenly stopped. His heavy round eyes shot open as the bushes were pulled back to reveal a surprised TenTen. For a moment in the world, everything was all right.

Tiredly Lee asked, "What brings you here TenTen-"

The words stopped as Lee watched in horror the grin grow on TenTen's face. In a high-pitched singing voice she called out, "Oh girls! Look who I found!"

The pink and yellow harpies immediately descended, their weapons of tweezers gleaming in the light that glared even brighter than a tag-team smile of Gai-sensei and himself. Lee gasped in horror as he rolled out of the bushes the girls attacked with ferocity of plucking that left the limbs abhorrently bare.

Lee gasped as he scrambled to run before TenTen determinedly circled him, wrapping a link of metal chains tightly around his legs.

"Girls! Hurry! The Eyebrows! Pluck the Eyebrows!!" she screamed.

Lee struggled against his bounds but calmed at the touch of his beloved cherry blossom's hand stroking his cheek.

"Oh Lee-kun," cried Sakura, "Please stop fighting us. It's for your own good. Please, do it for me?"

For a moment, Lee was left stunned by her maiden blossoming beauty and the tears of youth freely fell from his circular eyes.

"Oh Sakura! How foolish I've been!" he shouted.

The maidenly beauty nonetheless transformed into the nightmare of the Boogey Man when the tweezers came into view – causing the tears of youth to run salty burning his eyes with the tears of petrified fear.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!" screamed Lee.

The revenues of strength surged forward as Lee ripped through the metal chains and took off running through the village.

The girls were left blinking owlishly in the dust, their tweezers strangely bent at odd angles.

It was Ino who first snapped out of the daze of Lee's Lotus Gate Power and quickly snapped the others out of their own daze – more specifically slapped.

"Darn it Forehead! I thought you said you had him on a leash!"  
"Shut up Pig!"

"Wasn't it you who said, Oh it's sooo obvious that Lee is totally in love with me! He'll do whatever I want! If I asked for it, he'd shave his whole head off for me!" mocked Ino in a high whiny and nasal voice.

Sakura's cheeks angrily flushed dark red. In a fit of rage, her fist came crashing down uprooting the delicate flowers and bushes.

Ino squawked in surprise and TenTen carefully did a back flip to land gracefully on a sturdy tree. The Weapons Mistress sighed at their antics, "You know we'll never find him if you two keep squabbling."

The other girls turned a menacing glare at TenTen, effectively shutting her up as their petty argument continued.

A squirrel scurried by in a scare, catching TenTen's eye with an eerie suspicion.

Lee ran.

Lee ran hard. So hard he must have circled the village twice within the span of three minutes.

And though Lee ran hard, he didn't miss spotting the scared squirrel well ahead in his path. With the quick movements of the Green Beast, Lee jumped over the squirrel tossing it a happy thumbs-up never quite noticing the flower bush that happened to pop out from nowhere.

Lee landed in the bush with a noisy crash.

For a bewildered moment, Lee sat around dazedly staring at the pretty flowers smiling back at him. The small lilac petals tickled at his skin, irritating his nose. Lee wrinkle his nose before he felt the air tremble around him. He squinted his eyes as he attempted to pacify the irritable nose with the backside of his hand, but it was too late.

The bush shook at the great 'AAAAACCHOOOOOOO!!' Lee bellowed out.

Lee winced at the sound and mentally slapped himself until he heard a soft willowy voice shakily call out, "H-Hello? W-Who's there?"

Lee willed himself to become one with the bush but sadly his prayers were not heard. Instead the leaves were parted to reveal the curious face of Hyuuga Hinata. Her wide lavender eyes blinked owlishly and quietly she asked, "Ah Lee-san, w-what are you doing h-here?"  
Lee uncharacteristically sat quiet, thinking of a way to escape from the cousin of his ultimate rival Neji. However the girlish shrills that seemed to be stalking closer forced the torrent waves of helplessness out of Lee's mouth as he cried on about the plot from Konoha's extremely hormonal population to pluck his eyebrows till there was nothing left. His story ended in more trickling tears as he recounted the escape and hiding in this bush.

For awhile, Hinata sat silently staring at the eyebrows in question. She was about to open her mouth to speak when another louder and shrillest voice interrupted her unheard words.

"LEE-KUN!! WHERE ARE YOU??" screamed Sakura.

Lee gave her a pleading look for her help to which Hinata returned with a small smile all the while gushing on the inside at the puppy look.

Hinata disappeared from his sight causing Lee great anxiety as he really couldn't hear what the young woman told the thorny flower about his hidden presence.

He held his breathe making a silent promise to himself that if Hinata kept him safe, he would gladly do 500 laps around Konoha backwards.

He tensed himself for betrayal just as TenTen had done, when he heard her soft graceful steps patter back toward the bush. The leaves were parted once more as Hinata's heart-shaped face popped out into sight. With a small smile she said, "D-don't worry anymore Lee-san. Th-they're gone now. It's s-safe to come out now."

"Is it truly safe, Hinata-san?" he questioned.

"Hai."

Slowly Lee climbed out from the bush, the mangled flowers sighing in relief at the lighter weight. Hinata giggled at the stray leaves and petals sticking to him at odd places as she helped brush them off his person.

Lee couldn't imagine a gentler touch.

Aware of the blush slowly eating at his face he stilled her hands to say, "Thank you Hinata-san. You have my undying gratitude for your help."

He bowed to her and made a run to escape from this new and uncomfortable feeling when he heard her soft voice call out, "W-Wait! Lee-san!"

He froze in his movements surprised at her command and turned toward her with a nervous smile.

"A-Ah, y-yes Hinata-san?"  
She titled her head to the side looking hard at him as she asked, "Why do your eyebrows mean so much to you?"

Surprised at the stutter-free question and the boldness of it all, Lee stumbled to take a step back. Hinata only stayed still, patiently waiting for an answer.

"My eyebrows?"

She nodded.

"Well I must be honest to say it never really crossed my mind until today. But if I think about it, I must say that these eyebrows are just further proof of my adoration of my hero, Gai-sensei. I plan to grow up to be exactly just like him. Eyebrows included!" he flourished with a glinting smile and a thumbs-up.

Hinata let out a small giggle, hiding her smile behind her interlaced fingers. She took a small step closer to the smiling shinobi in the green jumpsuit.

"I-I'm glad you admire Gai-sensei so much."

"YOSH! Gai-sensei has given me so much of the power of youth!"

"Y-yes, but I wonder… W-Wouldn't you mind being just a little bit d-different from Gai-sensei. I-I mean after all Lee-san is only Lee-san as Gai-sensei is only Gai-sensei."

Her words left him speechless, a baffled look plastered on his face that shot his eyebrows beneath his bowl cut bangs and made his circular eyes the size of saucer plates.

Hinata seeing his face panicked to add, "B-But whatever Lee-san chooses to be, I w-will always like Lee-san for w-who he is!"

The apple blush Lee had been suppressing bubbled to the surface as he watched in awe Hinata change from a pale moonlight-shade to the color of Gaara's hair.

"Hinata-san! I- no p-please don't think like that – I"

"THERE HE IS GIRLS!!"

The battle-cry snapped the two out of the cute and awkward moment as Lee saw the ambush of girls aiming straight for him.

Hinata quickly made a move to push him forward as she stepped in front of the female stampede.

"Run Lee-kun, run!" she whispered below her breathe, Byakugan activating.  
Lee marveled at such strength as he jumped the mangled bush to freedom. And yet as he ran, the apple blush still stained his cheeks whenever his thoughts turned to a certain dark-haired kunoichi with a gentle touch.

Flowers, he thought, flowers would definitely be perfect for a new spring start.

-  
End

**A.N:** I've never done a LeeHina pairing before so I hope this wasn't too er awkward or weird? Sorry for any mistakes and I hope this entry still makes the deadline!

Thanks for reading!


	3. Forget Him Not by Ms Videl Son

**Title:** Forget Him Not  
**Author:** Ms. Videl Son  
**Rating:** G ( K )  
**Challenge:** Spring Of Love  
**Pairing:** LeeHina, one-sided NaruHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Ms. Videl Son's (aka, megaminoeien on DA) personal profile.

* * *

It was 5:30 in the morning and Hinata had been awake for two hours already, unable to sleep. Her body and mind were both exhausted, but, no matter how many times she closed her eyes, her persistent thoughts kept her conscious. After one hour of tossing and turning beneath her forget-me-not blue sheets, another half spent looking for a book or something lull her back into dreamland, and countless minutes of trying to change the subject of her inner psyche to something more pleasant, the Hyuuga heiress found herself at a sleepless loss. Finally giving up at around the two hour mark, she simply sat up in bed, staring lethargically off into space. Without any will to distract herself further, she allowed the melancholy thoughts she'd been keeping at bay for the better part of the night to drift to the surface of her mind and began to ponder them anew.

'_One and a half_,' Hinata thought to herself as her eyes listlessly scanned the numbered squares on the wall calendar that hung from the back of her bedroom door. One of the squares was scarred with an aggressive red X, marking a particular date in infamy. Singling it out for scrutiny.

For good reason, too. One and a half years prior to the current date, Uzumaki Naruto had left Konoha on a training mission. Whether or not he would return safely was up to the gods of fate to determine, but the lonely Hyuuga heiress left behind would agonize over his absence for every single day that he was gone, worrying constantly for his safety. She had confidence in Naruto's ability to grow and improve, but...did he have to leave Konoha to do it?

Without Naruto around, Hinata was depressed. Not the sort of depressed that would have her committed, or anything, but there was a certain cheer that was suddenly absent from her life, making the world around her seem...less colorful, somehow. No more brilliant oranges, yellows or electric blues, only varying shades of gray and a bit of milky lavender every so often. Very dull. The only bit of color she had left was the red X that marked every anniversary (annual and semi-annual) of her beloved Naruto's departure...

Hinata realized that she was being very selfish, but the feelings of bitter anguish over the absent Naruto simply wouldn't leave her consciousness. With distractions such as her own training, familial obligations and puttering around in her little flowerbed outside, she usually managed to either avoid thinking about her woes or simply construct a believable facade in the presence of others that distracted her from her loneliness. When she was inside and alone in the early morning, however –

"COME ON, GET UP AND FACE THE DAY!" was the booming shout that accompanied the deafening bang of her door hitting the wall. It had been thrust open to reveal a tall, lanky figure standing there, one hand poised on the mahogany frame, the other right in the center of the door itself. Between these two appendages, the person struck a dashing pose, allowing his audience a clear view of the green spandex, orange leg warmers and sparkling teeth that made up his unusual style. In the presence of this abrupt character, Hinata's heart couldn't stop pounding.

"L-Lee-san?" she queried, slowly lowering the sheets she had instinctively pulled up to cover her chest back down to her lap. Her heart continued to hammer an uneven beat into her rib cage.

As if only suddenly aware of her and his surroundings, Lee leaned into the room, balancing himself betwixt the door and the fame still, and took a peek around. "Whoops...," was the first thing he said as his eyes landed on her. A sheepish grin quickly followed. "I was looking for Neji-san's room, sorry."

Baffled, Hinata couldn't prevent herself from asking, "You wake Neji-nii-san up this early?" Her heartbeat was nearing its regular pace now, having almost fully recovered from its initial shock.

"Of course!" Lee proclaimed, standing up straight once again."Why waste your time in bed when you could be out enjoying the spring of your youth? Before your youthful blossom wilts, you need to soak up all the life you can!" He punctuated his declaration with an enthusiastic pump of the fist.

"B-But Lee-san," Hinata protested, inexplicably compelled to throw her covers off and move to the edge of the bed. As she allowed her legs to dangle over the side, her toes barely touching the chilly floor, she reminded him, "It's so early! Neji-nii-san is still asleep."

"Then he needs to wake himself up!" Lee countered with a dazzling smile. "If he needs assistance, I'll be happy to provide it and drag him out of bed myself! Would you like to help?"

"W-Well – "

"Great!" her colorful intruder cheered, prancing across the room in a couple of long bounds. Reaching down to grasp Hinata by the wrist, he jerked her up off her mattress and onto her feet. Without bothering to pause so that the Hyuuga heiress could regain her balance, he began dragging her towards the door. Under such duress, Hinata's heart began thumping at an awkward pace once again. "Let's go, Hinata-chan!"

As if caught up in a multi-hued vortex, Hinata found herself unable to escape the older boy's firm hold. She protested feebly one last time, but did nothing to prevent him from dragging her along. "Lee-san, I'm still wearing my p-pajamas!"

"Oh, you look fine, Hinata-chan."

"That's not really the po – "

"Neejiiiiii-saaan! It's time to rise, shine and greet the wide world!"

"_Lee-san_!"

With the hem of Hinata's nightgown whipping around her knees, she was dragged away from the misery that she had been wallowing in since the earliest morning light. She wouldn't return to her bedroom at all that day, not even for a quick change of clothes, nor did she return the next. In fact, caught up in the whirlwind of color and vivacity that was Rock Lee, Hinata wouldn't see her gloomy bedroom until the following Friday. She wouldn't think about Naruto again until she got back, exhausted and cheerful once again.


	4. Soft as Petals by Moony92

**Title:** Soft as Petals  
**Author:** Moony92  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Challenge:** Spring Of Love  
**Pairing:** LeeHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Moony92's (aka, Moony92 on DA) personal profile.

* * *

_**Why do people give each other flowers? To celebrate various important occasions, they're killing living creatures? Why restrict it to plants? "Sweetheart, let's make up. Have this deceased squirrel."**_** —The Washington Post**

-

It was hot.

The sun dangled over the training grounds, the dirt parched and dusty, the clusters of grass yellowing and nearly lifeless. They crunched noticeably against his feet and, in spite of the swift vigorous pounding of his fists against simmering hard wood, he could still hear the weeds buckle against his weight.

The humidity that pervaded the training ground had been almost unbearable, but the crisp sting of it was refreshing and Rock Lee was not about to waste away his profound youth wallowing within the comforts of shaded indoors.

Hinata shuffled a little on where she stood, a little ways away from him, appearing out of place and uncertain. She had followed him there to train, but didn't seem to be making any progress. The entire time, she had simply stood there and watched him pound his fist against a pole for what felt like hours.

"Hinata-sama, why aren't you training, too?" Lee offered her a broad smile, the very epitome of cheerful patience. He had stopped attacking the pole, sparing his time for the sake of her.

Hinata's cheeks blossomed with color. Lee wasn't a young man that gave his time to just anyone, especially during his training. Training was particularly important to him, so for him to be patient with her under the circumstances was more than she felt she disserved.

Lee inclined his head a little, a gesture of curiosity. "Are you tired?"

"N…n-no." Hinata replied meekly, quickly becoming more and more embarrassed.

Hinata couldn't recall when and how she'd finally shed her hopeless crush for Naruto, and instead developed yet another love interest in the form of one taijutsu master, Rock Lee, but it was likely the reason why she felt so increasingly uncomfortable.  
Lee had been assigned by Neji himself to keep her company while he was away on an A-rank mission with Tenten and Naruto. It had been a solid eight months since their leave. Hinata wasn't aware of the steps it took to fall in love, but because of their absence and Lee's constant presence she had come to care for the taijutsu specialist deeper than she herself would knowingly admit. She had felt a change of pace one day, while with him. Perhaps he had noticed it, too. When they'd innocently touch, purely accidental or otherwise, it seemed glaringly more invigorating and savored than before.

Today had started out hot and slow. Hinata had been aimlessly wandering the garden of the Hyuuga estate, randomly smoothing her fingertips over flower petals, slipping in and out of training sessions she'd taught herself but could never quite concentrate enough to complete. And then a branch member had informed her of a visitor, Lee, and she had all but run to her doorstep to greet him.

He'd saved her from a long day of boredom right then and there, insisted she join him in his hourly exercise.

But being with him now, in the middle of a secluded training area amidst a dense forest, an all too familiar bout of insecurity and shyness prevented her from focusing on anything but the young man before her. The place was secretive, and he had told her only Team Gai knew of it.

For a moment, she'd played with the idea that Lee considered her special, to share with her a place he'd only share with his closest friends.

Lee was more than accommodating, with patience that rivaled a saint. Hinata wasn't quite familiar with Lee's methods of training, and usually when she trained with Neji they never trained separately. She was too much of an introvert to inform Lee of the routine, too flustered at the idea of touching him at all, fearing she may appear bossy or unappreciative of his efforts. He could've easily been doing something else rather than watch over a defenseless little heiress, after all.

"I can tell you are uncomfortable," Lee admitted, grinning sheepishly, a bandaged hand rubbing the nape of his neck. "Forgive me, I am not entirely use to company under such circumstances."

Hinata felt a little ashamed at the idea of being a nuisance to him. "I'm s-sorry," she mumbled, sounding dejected, her shoulders literally slumping.

Lee stared, suddenly wide-eyed as it occurred to him that Hinata was unhappy for some reason. "Hinata-sama, are you well?" He asked worriedly, "Was it perhaps something I had said? I am truly sorry!"

"N-no, I'm sorry—um..." Flustered, Hinata took a step backwards. She bowed low, hoping to hide the miserable blush behind her bangs.

"I do not understand you, Hinata-sama," Lee admitted, frowning a little in his perplexity. "You're diffidence is endearing, but at times I believe that you should branch out and enjoy your youth!" For a moment, he looked as if he were reaching out to her, wishfully, as if hoping to step closer. "And yet, I cannot help but feel humbled by you."

She, on the other hand, couldn't bring herself to shy away from his proximity. She imagined his hand brushing her flushed cheek, and with the expression on his face, it seemed as if he were kissing her with his eyes.

Her heart fluttered wildly. "U-um…!" she mumbled, desperately.

Lee quickly beamed at her. And just like that the moment, whatever it was, vanished. "I know! We shall spar together! It would surely take our minds off these odd thoughts!"

Hinata blinked, and her heart slumped in despair. "Um…"

"You are more familiar with sparing, yes?" Lee deduced happily, taking her hand. And in that instant, her body moved of its own accord, as if on autopilot, in spite of her overwhelming introversion. Lee dazzled her with a wide smile, "I myself would love to see how you've progressed! Neji tells me you're doing well."

Blushing, Hinata conceded, no other option in her mind's eye than to please him. She might've felt a hint of pride at Lee's obvious praise, but she couldn't bring herself to imagine Neji openly sharing his personal life with anyone no matter how trivial, not even a longtime teammate.

"U-um...is it a-alright if I fight without the Gentle Fist?" Hinata bit her bottom lip unconsciously.

"I would want nothing more!" Lee happily assured. "Let us strip down to the barest essentials of our fighting techniques. A street fight, if you will." He chuckled. "How youthful!"

Hinata's lips trembled as she smiled. She had the decency to stifle her laughter, a sense of secrecy in the curve of her mouth.

The first exchange of blows was awkward and unfamiliar, their fighting styles clashing oddly, but Lee was resilient and seemed to be enjoying himself. In turn, his confidence encouraged Hinata to relax. Lee was much quicker to react to an assault, but Hinata discovered that she was far more nimble. Their exercise continued like a cycle, she dodged and evaded whereas he attacked and remained in the offensive.

Hinata was glowing with sweat and heaving vaguely, and the sunlight was affecting her eyesight slightly. She didn't dare use the Byakugan; it was only a friendly spar, after all, and the lighting had proved to render her Kekkei Genkai as a possible liability. But so far, their fight was nothing more than a harmless game of cat and mouse.

For some time now Lee was easily cornering her, pushing her farther away from the open area and almost touching the surrounding forest.  
"Oh!" Hinata yelped, noticing the lone cluster of dandelions too late. In a rare instant of surprise, she twisted awkwardly and flailed her arms in a vain attempt to stop herself from crushing the flora undeserving of an early death.

"Hinata-sama!"

All at once there was a loud shuffle behind her, a startling rush of displaced air that made her hair fluttered around her, and suddenly Hinata found herself lying on her back with a particularly heavy feeling against her heaving chest.

Hinata whimpered a little and gingerly opened her eyes, blinking against the odd circles flickering around her line of vision. "Lee-san?" She mumbled, truly worried now.

"Mmmph!"

Hinata paled.

Lee had fallen face-first directly between her boobs, which clearly looked to be enveloping him. He picked his head up, his entire face a startling scarlet and his eyes wider than she'd ever seen them.

"I-I'm okay!" He blurted dumbly, trembling a little. "I mean, are _you_ okay?" He voice seemed unusually high-pitched.

Hinata looked up at him, wide-eyed and purely mortified now. All the blood in the world could not bring color to her ashen face. Why was he still _on top of her_!?

"Hinata-sama!"

"Lee!"

Hinata and Lee simultaneously glanced towards the newcomers and, miraculously, Hinata had paled even more. Tenten and Neji were staring at them, one flushing while the other looked at a cross between murderous and positively horrified.

"We are alright!" Lee insisted manically, blushing to the point where he looked as if he were glowing beet red. "Hinata's voluptuous figure broke my fall!"

There was a solid _thump_ as Hinata's head hit the grass.

**End.**

-  
**Author's Blurb:** Wrote this for DateMe's May contest on DeviantART. The pairing featured was LeeHina, and the theme was flowers or something pertaining to it. I don't dislike this couple, myself. In fact, if written properly, it would be very cute and spontaneous. :D

This is probably the first official Naruto fanfic I've written and posted. My heart belongs to the Sailor Moon X-over section. XD It's nothing spectacular, but that's what you get on such short notice. ;P I didn't put a lot of thought into this, which disappoints me a little. But there were not enough entries on the fanfiction section of the contest, so I wanted to help out on that part.

Hinata reacts to Lee somewhat the same way she had when she was "in love" with Naruto, but she's grown out of her shell a little at the same time. I was trying to get that across, but I'm not sure. I never wrote these characters before. / And Lee...well sometimes I don't know what goes on in his head. Let's leave it at that.

Peace out,

- _Moony_


	5. May Flowers by Ms Videl Son

**Title:** May Flowers**  
Author: **Ms. Videl Son**  
Rating:** G ( K )**  
Challenge: **Spring Of Love**  
Pairing: **LeeHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Ms. Videl Son's (aka, megaminoeien on DA) personal profile.

* * *

The hallway appeared to be empty. No students bustling about or loitering at their lockers, no teachers chiding them for running recklessly past their open classroom doors, not even a janitor poking his nose around for random scraps of trash. No activity whatsoever.

Perfect. Her chance had finally come!

Taking one last peek to the right, another to the left, just as she might do when navigating traffic, Hinata tentatively took her first step away from the relative safety of the library doorway and into the unknown. Without too much hesitation, she took another.

Once fully out into the corridor, Hinata breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Ah _ha_! So this is where you've been hiding, Hinata-chan!"

"_Eek_!" she squealed involuntarily, both hands instantly rising to cup over her mouth and paling cheeks. Simultaneously, she spun her body a full three hundred and sixty degrees around to face –

Rock Lee.

Embarrassed both over her false alarm and the bemused expression on her upperclassman's face, Hinata immediately (and consciously) turned beet red. "L-Lee-senpai! You st-startled me!"

"Are you feeling alright, Hinata-chan?" Lee queried, emerging fully from behind the corner he was half-hidden behind. His normally glimmering grin was put a way for the moment as he looked her up and down for any obvious signs of illness or trauma (her recent fright aside, of course).

"I'm f-fine," she replied, shrinking away from the older student's helpful gaze and extended hand. "Just a little j-jumpy, I guess."

As unconscious of personal boundaries as ever, Lee pressed his open palm to her forehead. Sliding it down her face to feel her brightly-glowing cheek, he commented, "I didn't know you could feel hot and clammy at the same time! Did you catch a spring fever, Hinata-chan?"

Unsure of whether or not it would be polite to back away, Hinata stayed put beneath her cousin's classmate's touch as she gathered up the nerve to reply. With her eyes downcast shamefully, she eventually replied, "I d-don't think so..."

"Allergies?"

"No."

"Mumps? Measles? Meningitis?"

"N-No...," she responded, feeling slightly queasy at his proximity, if not because she suffered from one of his diagnoses. Aside from the...incident of the previous month, Hinata was fairly certain that she'd never been so close to a boy before (except for Neji-nii-san, but he didn't really count since he was family, right?).

To her dismay, Lee chose to continue their dialogue from a closer vantage point. Pressing his forehead gently against hers, he looked her directly in the eyes as he said, "Good! Then you should get out and enjoy the spring of your youth! Come on!"

Without any further ado and absolutely no heed to Hinata's sputtering protests, Lee then proceeded to drag Hinata down the hall by the wrist, seemingly oblivious to the resistance caused by the heels of his captive's shoes as they skidded across the tiled floor. Hinata did her best to dig in, but the slick linoleum against the soles of her new loafers did little to slow the pace that Lee set. "W-Wait! Lee-senpai, slow down!"

"We're planting pansies today, Hinata-chan," the elder student said to the younger, turning his head to flash her a brilliantly glittering grin. In the harsh fluorescent light of the corridor, Hinata had to squint at the luminescence reflected from his perfectly white choppers. Randomly, the Hyuuga heiress wondered if Lee's teeth glowed in the presence of a blacklight. "I saved some of the orange ones for you, but we'd better hurry!"

"Lee-senpai – "

"I've been taking care of your flowers since you've been gone, Hinata-chan. I treat them as if they're my own!"

"Please, Lee-senpai, listen to – "

"Your tulips are beginning to sprout, by the way. In another couple of weeks, they should have petals and ever – "

"_LEE-SENPAI_!"

As if her futile struggles had suddenly and inexplicably proved useful, both teens stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. With her wrist still grasped loosely in his hand, Lee turned to stare at Hinata, his grin all but dissolved from his face. "Something wrong, Hinata-chan?" he queried, hitching up the corners of his lips as if attempting to turn the wattage back on.

"Lee-senpai, I...," Hinata began, feeling the flush bloom on her cheeks once again as her innately shy nature balked at the prospect of being the center of attention. Thankfully, Lee was the entirety of her audience, holding her embarrassment at being singled out to a bearable minimum. "I - I'm not going to club!" There, she'd said it.

Without prompting, Lee slowly withdrew his hand from her arm, allowing it to fall to his side limply. His head was lowered, the last sparks of enthusiasm dying out in the depths of his eyes, and his eyebrows were slack in defeat. Hinata had never seen her club president like this before. "So you're dropping out of the club, too, Hinata-chan? I was hoping that you, at least..." his words trailed off into a heavy sigh.

"'Too'?" Hinata repeated, blinking at Lee in bewildered concern. "H-Have club members stopped coming?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, a hint of bitterness flavoring his smile now. "It's just me, Ino-chan and Shino-kun now. When I saw you coming out of the library earlier, I thought that maybe you were coming back. I guess I got a little excited, huh?" he finished, lifting his eyes to fix on Hinata's face, possibly to see if she was sharing in the little joke at his expense.

She wasn't. The news about the Konoha Gardening Club, which was usually so high in attendance, disturbed her. More upsetting than that, though, was the effect the increase in absences was having on Lee; it wasn't like him to seem so...pessimistic.

"What about Sasuke-san?" Hinata couldn't help but ask. When Lee's eyebrows rose in response to this question, she felt the blush in her cheeks intensify. "A-And the others?"

"Sasuke-kun hasn't been to a meeting since last month," Lee reported, hints of his bitter smile back on his face. "He stopped showing up only a couple of weeks after you did. The girls – all of them except Ino-chan, of course – went away with him. All twelve of them."

It was Hinata's turn to lower her head. "Oh.." Though she couldn't say she was sorry to hear that Sasuke, the gloomy witness to her nudity from the month before, was no longer around, she still felt incredibly sorry for Lee and the club. Horticulture was something that the president was passionate about and he loved to share it with everyone around him. Even Lee's excitement over flowers, it seemed, dwindled when faced with such apathy...

Scarcely aware of what she was doing, Hinata reached out and took her upperclassman timidly by the hand. Without raising her eyes to his, she offered him a quiet yet heartfelt apology. "I'm sorry, Lee-senpai...I was being s-selfish and not thinking of the club. Can...can we still go today? Or has everyone gone home already?"

When Lee didn't immediately answer, Hinata chanced a tentative glance at his face. If the pearly-white radiance of his smile was any indication, he was back to his usual optimistic self already. The tight squeeze of her hand within his further implied that his fervor had returned to him.

"Let's go!" he declared a second later, taking off in the direction in which he'd been pulling her earlier. This time, Hinata didn't resist, merely stumbled along in Lee's flamboyant wake, her own smile widening to nearly painful proportions.


	6. Magic Trick by fleacollar999

**Title:** Magic Trick  
**Author:** fleacollar999  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Challenge:** Spring of Love  
**Pairing:** LeeHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in fleacollar999's personal profile.

* * *

Hinata was walking down the dusty path that led to the training grounds; she was having a bad day and she wanted to be alone. Of course, Fate wouldn't have any of that.

"Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan!" Cried a voice from the horizon. By the time she had turned around, Rock Lee was standing before her with a trail of dust settling on the ground. "I'm having a magic show! Would you like to come"

Hinata smiled but grimaced inwardly. He had interrupted her nice walk and invited her to a magic show that if she refused to attend she would be sick with guilt for weeks. Who told Lee to take up magic anyway? Oh yeah. Naruto.

"Sure, Lee-kun! I'd love to come!" She lied. "When is it"

The eccentric boy struck his nice-guy pose. "Right now! I asked everyone else, but they said they were all busy. But having you as an audience is enough to make my heart soar with happiness"

Hinata laughed nervously and followed Lee to Team Gai's training grounds. She took a seat on a log as he dashed in to the surrounding forest.

Suddenly he burst back into the clearing announcing, "Behold! I am Lee the Magnificent!" He was wearing a tuxedo-- complete with carnation-- and Hinata wondered idly if that was his first trick.

"Hinata-chan!" He said, smiling widely. "I need your help for this trick. Please pick a card, but don't let me see it." She pulled a card out of the deck he offered and looked at it; it was the four of clubs.

"Please give me your card, Hinata-chan, but don't let me see it," he warned. She handed him the card and he held it up to his forehead with the card face out. He closed his eyes in concentration and opened one hesitantly after a moment. "Is it the four of clubs"

"Yes," Hinata said, impressed. "That's cool, Lee-kun"

He smiled brightly and gave her a thumbs-up. "Thank you, Hinata-chan! For my next trick, I will turn this one handkerchief," he said, pulling a square of cloth out of his coat, "into many"

She smiled at him and he stuck the handkerchief into his fist and blew on it. Lee pulled on a corner of the handkerchief out of his fist, and other brightly colored handkerchiefs followed. Hinata laughed as he performed the trick backwards and pulled a single square of cloth from his fist.

"For my next trick," Lee said to a giggling Hinata, "I will turn this handkerchief into a dove!" The girl gasped-- how could he do that?

He stuffed the handkerchief back into his fist, but before he could do anything else something began squirming under his shirt.

Hinata jerked back and held her hands over her mouth. What was going on? Was Lee all right?

"Eep! Erm-- yieee!" He squeaked as a dove popped out of his shirt. She laughed and the poor boy blushed. "Um, I guess," Lee began slowly, "that for my next trick I shall turn this handkerchief into a bouquet of flowers!" He ended his speech with his nice-guy pose.

He shook out the poor wrinkled handkerchief... And flowers slipped out of his sleeve.

"Oh, no!" Lee wailed as a giggling Hinata collected the flowers. She tried to give him the slightly abused flowers but he refused, saying, "You keep them, Hinata-chan. I am a failure as a magician. I shall do five hundred"

"You aren't a failure, Lee-kun!" She exclaimed. "It was magic to me!" He looked at her with tears in his eyes and she said, "You made me happy"

Hinata rose up on her tip-toes and kissed Lee on the cheek and began to walk home, cradling the flowers in her arms.


End file.
